Walls of Dreaming
by tigercub22
Summary: The fairytale is growing impatient. For 16 years she's been hidden, for 16 years the curse has searched. She can't hide forever. And when she's found... everything will change.
1. Chapter 1

**This is my first story, I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I'm enjoying writing it :)**

**I imagined most of the characters and settings in this story, but the kingdom of Stormhold belongs to the film Stardust, not me**

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><p><span>Chapter 1<span>

Fairytales have a life of their own. Like all living things they grow over time, gaining more power, and more momentum with each telling until finally the fairytale is too strong to control. It sucks people in, so the story is fulfilled time and time again and it becomes known as 'destiny'. It's impossible to fight a Happy Ending. However, this is one fairytale that won't behave...

5:00 am. The sky is inky black apart from a feeble ray of purple light peeping over the horizon; the first sign of dawn. Barely five minutes away in the suburban village of Spindles End an eerie silence lingers over the streets. But the forest is another world. Its inhabitants prefer the cover of darkness, and at night the forest is at its most alive.

Situated on the very edge of the forest is a crumbling cottage. You would never imagine anyone living there, as its forbidding exterior coupled with a distinct air of abandonment make it look as un-homely as possible. However, this makes it the perfect place to hide.

Only one corner of this cottage is the space that Issy can truly call her own. Her tiny bedroom with whitewashed walls and bare floorboards, furnished only with her uncomfortable bed and a single chest of drawers has one single feature that she likes: a window looking out over the forest. She never sleeps with the curtains pulled, so that she can look at the stars and count them as she falls asleep. Tonight, however, there are no stars, so when Issy wakes and opens her eyes she sees only darkness. Consumed with panic she blinks frantically, feeling the darkness leaking into her throat: she can't breathe...

With a gasp Issy sat bolt upright in her bed and looked around. As her eyes adjusted to the darkness she took in the familiar features of her room and felt her panic subside. Sighing, she swung her legs out of bed and stood up, wincing as her feet touched the cold floor. Electricity and central heating were unheard of at the cottage. Issy dressed in the darkness, fumbling around trying to find the clothes she'd left folded at the foot of her bed the night before. Her pale skin seemed deathly white in contrast to the blackness all around. On good days she thought of her complexion as 'ethereal' but most days she accepted it for what it was: pale and unhealthy. Finally dressed, she tip-toed to the door and paused, before pushing the door open. A long whine split the silence, and Issy cursed in her head. Placing each foot with extreme care, she slowly advanced down the hallway. With each step, the ancient floorboards creaked and groaned in protest. _I swear they do that deliberately_, Issy thought, casting a glance towards the three doors on the opposite side of the hall to hers. It was impossible for her to leave her room without one of the witches hearing her pass. Someone stirred behind the door nearest to her. Abandoning caution, Issy fled down the stairs, on through the kitchen and flung the back door open.

Taking huge lungfuls of the crisp morning air, she headed towards the forest, ignoring the fact that her school shoes were soaked with dew. She loved the forest; it was the one place where she felt safe. A slight breeze swept through the trees. Issy smiled as she listened to the rustling of leaves, imagining that the trees were whispering to each other. At last she came to a clearing. There she stopped and leaned against a formidable oak tree. And she waited.

The unicorns emerged one by one from the shadows. Their pearlescent white coats shone, bathing the clearing in their radiant light. An old female, the matriarch of the herd, was the first to approach Issy. Avamir was Issy's special friend. She was thinner and smaller than the others and she didn't have a horn, just a jagged scar where her horn should have been. Issy stroked Avamir's velvety nose gently while the old unicorn closed her eyes in bliss. Not wanting to be left out, Aiedail – Avamir's son – nudged Issy's cheek. Issy had raised Aiedail from a foal, but he was grown up now and had a mate of his own. His two foals Twilight and Moonsilver cantered around the clearing, enjoying the excitement of a visit from Issy. She loved the unicorns with all her heart, and worried constantly that they would be found.

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><p><em>Beep-ity beep, beep-ity beep, beep-ity beep.<em>

The shrill screeching of his alarm clock was the first thing Nico heard that morning. Groaning, he rolled over and switched off, before burying his head under the pillow. He didn't want to get up. Today was his first day at Spindles End High School. He hadn't even wanted to move to Spindles End in the first place, but he didn't put up much of a fight. He was used to moving. His mum was a property developer; meaning that her job was to buy a house, do it up and then move on to the next place. It never bothered his dad, who could simply request a transfer to another bank, but Nico had to switch schools, leave behind all his old friends, and he'd be just starting to settle in when they'd move again. It was exhausting.

Finally, Nico couldn't put off leaving for school any longer. He was about to walk out the door when he caught a glimpse of himself in the hallway mirror. His navy blazer was too big, and he had a spot coming up on his chin. _Great. _He ran a hand through his floppy brown hair (a habit of his when he was nervous) then slung his schoolbag over his shoulder and left, without saying goodbye to his mum despite the fact that she called out to him as he passed.

Spindles End High School didn't make a very good first impression. It was a depressing grey building surrounded by a concrete yard. The enormous school field was its one redeeming feature. Nico strolled casually into the reception area, not wanting to look as nervous as he felt. The grumpy receptionist showed him to his form room. Nico followed a little behind her, trying to remember the way through the maze of identical corridors. The receptionist's high-heeled shoes made an unnaturally loud 'clack-clacking' sound on the shiny lino floors. Finally they arrived at a blue door that the receptionist knocked on twice with her bony fist before walking off, leaving Nico to enter on his own.

"Ah Nico, we thought you were never arriving" said his form tutor. "Everyone, this is Nico Fox." The form tutor seemed to think this was a good enough introduction. Nico stood awkwardly at the front of the classroom trying to ignore the curious and hostile stares of his new form. "There's a seat at the back next to Issy" said the form tutor, gesturing vaguely towards the back of the classroom. Several people sniggered. Feeling some trepidation Nico headed towards the seat he'd been pointed to. It was a relief to sit down, as everyone seemed to stop staring after that. He kicked his schoolbag out of the way, and only then did he glance at the girl sat next to him. Her face was hidden behind a thick curtain of wavy black hair that tumbled loosely over her shoulders, her thin hands were milky white and her school shoes were caked in mud. Nico thought he knew why people had laughed; she obviously didn't fit in. A tall blonde girl was going round the classroom handing out timetables. She strolled past and handed both Nico and Issy's timetables to Issy, who was nearer. Nico reached out to take his timetable from her, accidently brushing her skin as he did so. At the moment their hands touched, it felt as though an electric shock shot through Nico's arm! He jerked his hand away, looking at Issy with a shocked and puzzled expression. He quickly recovered and looked away, but not before he'd seen Issy glance at him with wide, frightened eyes. The second the bell went, she packed her things away at top speed and was out of the form room before he could blink. Nico watched her go feeling bemused. He wondered if he'd imagined that feeling, but he knew he hadn't. His hand was still tingling.

He looked down at his timetable, and saw that his first class was Maths in room G16. _How the hell am I meant to know where that is?_, he thought to himself. He looked around for someone to ask, which was when he noticed that a group of boys from his form were staring at him. When they realised he'd noticed them, the tallest one called over to him "What d'you do to freak girl to make her run off like that?" Nico wondered if he'd done something wrong, but they all seemed to be grinning. The one who'd spoken swaggered over to Nico. "I'm Ray" he said with a drawl. "Er... I'm Nico" said Nico warily. "Erm, d'you think you could show me where room G16 is?"

Nico hung around with Ray and the others all day. Ray seemed to be the unofficial leader, and if Nico was alright by him then he was alright by the others too. They didn't mention Issy again. At first he was relieved that she seemed to be the obvious target at this school, as this meant that people would be less likely to take notice of him, but as the day went on and her name didn't come up she faded from his thoughts. He'd almost forgotten she existed until he saw her at the end of the day.

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><p>Issy was looking over her shoulder all morning, and she'd never been so glad to hear the bell ring for lunch break before. She hated school normally, but the arrival of that new kid made it so much worse. She'd already seen him talking to the group of boys that enjoyed tormenting her most. This gang targeted Issy simply because she was an outsider, and there was something about her that was different. There was only one place in school where they couldn't find her, and it was there that she was going now. The entrance to her hideout was through an inconspicuous blue door marked 'Staff Only', but she'd never taken any notice of that. She pushed the door open after checking that no one was around, walked lightly up the concrete steps and came to another door at the top. This door often stuck, but today it swung open and she was nearly blinded with sunlight, for the door opened out onto the roof. Issy spent every break on the roof, even when it rained. She was completely invisible to the other students on the field below. The roof was the only place where she could snatch a few moments peace during school hours. Sighing, she settled down in her usual spot leaning against the waist-height wall that surrounded the flat roof, pulled her sketch book out of her satchel and began to draw.<p>

_Oh shit._ Issy craned her neck to see if Ray and his gang were stood by the school gates, and her stomach lurched when she saw that they were. She dreaded having to walk past them as she left the building. As usual she kept her head down as she approached, hoping they wouldn't notice her. No such luck. Out of the corner of her eye she noticed one of them point her out to Ray, who turned and gave her a scathing look. He said something to the others, who roared with laughter whilst looking quite obviously at her. Issy was glad she hadn't heard what he'd said. She tried to look determinedly straight ahead as she passed them, but she couldn't help risking a glance sideways. That was when she saw Nico, looking at her with the same scathing expression as the rest of them. Misery settled in her stomach like a rock. As she hurried away one of them shouted "Fur-reak!" but she pretended she hadn't heard, despite the fact that her eyes had filled with tears.

She'd composed herself by the time she arrived back at the cottage. Issy rarely cried; tears never fixed anything and besides she had work to do. The witches expected her to clean and tidy the cottage, serve all their meals, and do all the washing as well as care for the unicorns. Issy knew they could do all her chores in 10 seconds if they used their magic, but all three seemed to consider it a waste of their powers, beneath them in a way. The three witches – Impusa, Detvortesau and Salmakia – rarely left the cottage. Impusa was the eldest, Salmakia the youngest. Impusa had long straggly silver hair, black, beetle like eyes, a lined face and she always wore black. Detvortesau was fat, with a disagreeable expression, and wore her red hair shot through with grey tied up in a messy bun. Salmakia was the only one who had anything resembling beauty; she reminded Issy of a wilted rose. Both the witches and their cottage seemed to Issy to belong to another world. If there was one thing Issy had learnt over the years, it was that magic and the real world didn't match.

The witches wanted to teach Issy magic, but so far she'd resisted. She'd been able to do baby-magic for as long as she could remember, but she refused to use these powers and tried her best to hide them, which wasn't always easy. Issy could heal small bruises and cuts, and she only had to lay her bare palm on a patch of earth for flowers and plants to bloom around her hand. Impusa had explained to her about baby-magic: how all witches are able to do some kind of magic instinctively and without being taught and that these powers usually reflect a witches personality, but they fade once a witch starts to learn real magic. Kind-hearted Issy had been born with the gifts of growth and healing. There was once a time when she enjoyed holding a seed in her hand and watching it sprout into a beautiful flower, and healing the wounds of the woodland creatures she met on her visits to the unicorns. It made her feel special. Now she resented it. Magic had never brought her anything but pain.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Issy managed to escape a confrontation with Ray's gang at the gates for almost a week after the day Nico arrived. This gave her a sense of trepidation, as she knew it couldn't last. Sure enough, her luck ran out one day as she walked down a dilapidated and deserted street on her way back to the cottage, and noticed Ray and his gang up ahead of her. They were walking in her direction, so she instantly slowed her pace and hoped she wouldn't catch up with them. One of them pointed to something on the ground with a bark of laughter, and the others laughed too. They stopped, and gathered round whatever it was on the ground. Issy crept closer, feeling curious despite herself. Bile rose in her throat when she saw what it was they were laughing at. An injured wren was hopping lopsidedly along the pavement, trailing its wing behind it and tweeting softly. With mounting horror Issy watched as Ray aimed a kick at the little bird, and the others joined in. Finally Issy could bear it no longer. Crying out "What do you think you're doing?" she ran towards them.

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><p>"What do you think you're doing?" Nico heard the angry shout and turned, and was astonished to see Issy push through the circle of boys and kneel to the ground beside the wren. Very gently she picked it up and cradled it in her hands, holding it close to her heart. Her hair fell forward, shielding her face and the bird from view. Around him Ray and the others were laughing hysterically at the turn of events, but Nico heard them as if from a great distance. He couldn't take his eyes off Issy. She sat very still, hiding behind her curtain of black hair. Only Nico was watching closely, so only Nico could be sure of what he saw.<p>

He saw Issy hold out her hands. He saw the wren spread its wings and fly away, both wings working perfectly. He saw Issy watch it escape, her vivid blue eyes shining with happiness for just a moment, the bright sun illuminating her face. The wren's blood was still on her white shirt and on her hands.

The atmosphere shifted. The laughter died away, and a tense silence took its place. The circle of boys closed in around Issy. Even the sun hid behind a cloud. The air crackled with suspense. She sensed the change, and Nico saw fear cloud her features as she looked at the confused and afraid expressions of the people around her. Slowly, very slowly, she rose to her feet. "How did you do that?" asked Ray in an unnaturally loud and harsh voice. She spun round to face him. "What the _hell_ did you just do?" asked Ray again. She opened her mouth, but no sound came out. "_Witch_", spat Ray. A whisper went around the circle as the other boys repeated "_witch_" in undertones. The word seemed to snap her out of her trance, her eyes flicked frantically from side to side as she searched for a way out. Nico looked from Issy to Ray with rising panic. "_GET AWAY FROM ME!_" shouted Ray suddenly. Issy tried to run, but Ray had the first stone in his fist before she'd gone three paces. It missed and hit the ground just short of her. Thunder roared overhead as more clouds gathered in the sky, and the rest of the gang joined in. One hit her at the back of the neck; she stumbled but kept running. Another hit the side of her head, causing her to trip and fall. Her satchel split open, spewing her possessions onto the pavement. She desperately tried to gather up her things, but Ray's last stone hit her squarely on the head. She looked back at her tormentors for a moment with scarlet blood streaming down her face, before she fled, leaving her things behind.

Nico watched her go feeling hollow inside. His heart was thumping in his chest. Ray came and stood beside him, and asked Nico if he was up for hanging out with him and the lads. "Wha... er... sorry, man, I can't tonight. Er... got to help my mum with the unpacking." It was a lame excuse, but Ray didn't argue. "Whatever" he said to Nico, before leaving with the rest of his gang. Nico waited until they'd gone before going to the place where Issy had dropped her things. The first drop of ice cold rain hit his cheek as he crouched down and looked at what she'd left. A large book with 'Ismira Gilderien' written on the cardboard cover in loopy, elegant handwriting caught his eye. He picked it up, and opened it. To his amazement it was filled with the most beautiful black and white pencil drawings, all of fairytale creatures. Majestic unicorns, cheeky looking elves, fire-breathing dragons, delicate fairies... They were so expertly drawn they seemed almost real. The cover had ripped when Issy fell, and as Nico had been absorbed in the sketchbook he didn't notice the few drops of rain turn into a torrential downpour. The book was going to be ruined. Nico made up his mind. He tucked the sketchbook safely into his schoolbag, and resolved to give it back to Issy the next day.

He was quiet all evening. His mum noticed, and asked in a falsely-cheery tone "How was school, Nico?" when she normally wouldn't have bothered. He responded with a monosyllabic grunt, before escaping to his room. He didn't reappear for dinner when his dad got home, as he'd felt vaguely sick since the incident with the wren and had no appetite. A strange feeling was pressing on his mind – _guilt_ - that was what it was. He hadn't joined in, but he'd still stood there and watched his mates throw rocks at Issy. He'd let it happen, and that wasn't like him. With his thoughts running round in circles, Nico finally sank into an uneasy, restless sleep.

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><p>Issy made her way home, ignoring the perplexed and horrified stares of passers-by when they saw the blood on her face. She'd tried healing herself, but her baby-magic wasn't working like it normally did. She knew this should alarm her, but she was too preoccupied with fighting the pain to think about it then. She'd intended to sneak into the cottage the back way and avoid an interrogation from the witches, but as always they were a step ahead of her. She opened the back door and nearly collided with Impusa, who fixed Issy with her cold stare and hissed "<em>What. Did. You. Do?"<em> in her deadliest tone of voice. "It's nothing to do with you!" choked Issy as she shoved Impusa aside and ran upstairs to the bathroom.

No sooner had she slammed the door shut than it burst open again, and Impusa swept in, her long black skirt swishing. Feeling dizzy, Issy gripped the sides of the sink for support. Her mouth was full of the sickly-sweet, metallic taste of blood. "Tell me, child. _What happened?_" asked Impusa. Too weak to argue, Issy said "I... used magic. They didn't like it". A drop of blood from the wound rolled down Issy's face and into the sink. Her blood looked black against the white ceramic. Issy grudgingly told Impusa the rest of the story. "_Well"_ said Impusa. "I've been wondering why you're not capable of using real magic yet, but now I see. You waste your gifts on wrens and other small helpless creatures. All you can do is baby-magic. You'll never be able to do any real magic if you continue to fritter away your powers like this. Why should it matter to you if one bird dies? You're _weak_, child. Eventually, you must face up to who you are."

Issy sat awake for hours that night, resting her forehead against the cool glass of her window. It helped her think. Deep in her heart she knew Impusa was right, and she hated it. Baby-magic wouldn't last forever. She was kidding herself to think that if she ignored her powers maybe they'd go away, for magic doesn't work like that. The magic inside her would grow stronger as her baby-magic grew weaker. She remembered that she hadn't been able to heal herself that day and felt a twinge of uncertainty and fear. Then another thought yet more terrible struck her! She'd have to see Ray and Nico and all that lot at school tomorrow. How would they behave? Would they have told anyone else? Issy felt scared and achingly lonely. She looked out at the familiar forest, and saw a ray of silver light split the darkness. One of her beloved unicorns cantered out from the shelter of the trees and looked up at her. She recognised Aiedail, and just the sight of him made her feel braver. Of course she wasn't alone! She blew him a kiss, before finally moving away from the window and going to bed.

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><p>When he entered the form room the next day, Nico looked around anxiously for Issy and was relieved to see her sat in her usual place. He spent the whole of registration trying to catch her eye, but to his dismay she didn't look in his direction once. When the bell went she got up and left before anyone else. Nico hurried after her, and glimpsed her at the end of the corridor. "Issy!" he called. She stopped and turned, which gave him a chance to catch up with her. She still refused to meet his eye, looking down at her feet as he rummaged in his bag for the sketchbook. "Er... here", he said, handing it to her. She gasped when she saw the sketchbook. She ran her hand over the smooth cardboard cover, then opened it and traced her finger over the pencil lines of a drawing of a unicorn. She seemed lost in her own world and Nico was just about to leave when she shut the book and shoved it back into his hands. "Keep it", she said. "I don't want it any more". He looked uncertainly at the book in his hands, then up at Issy. Her face was curiously blank. "You know Ray and that lot" she said hesitantly. "Are they your friends?" Nico was put out by the question. He ran his hand through his hair as he tried to form a coherent answer. "Er... I dunno... I guess so". She looked at him with her startlingly blue eyes for a moment, long enough to make him feel uncomfortable, before walking away. "With friends like that, who needs enemies?" she said over her shoulder as she left.<p>

Nico felt a prickle at the back of his neck, the kind you get when you're being watched. He turned and saw Ray and his gang staring at him. Ray's expression was indifferent, but the others were clearly giving him a look that said _you're dead later._ Had they seen him with Issy? They must have done. _Shit_.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

The rational side of Nico's brain told him that Ray and his friends wouldn't get mad over a little thing like him talking to Issy, but the more truthful side of his brain insisted _yes, they can_. Nico was relieved when the rest of the day passed and Ray hadn't done anything worse than shoot him a filthy glare. Even so, Nico took a different route home than he normally would, to reduce the risk of bumping into Ray and the gang. He was walking down a secluded path listening to his iPod when he felt that annoying prickle at the back of his neck again. Feeling stupid, he checked to see if anyone was behind him. There were some people a long way behind him, too far away to see who they were. Nico removed his headphones and increased his pace. He looked behind him again barely a minute later. The people behind him had gotten a lot closer, and he could see now that it was a group of boys his age. Nico was now walking as fast as he could without breaking into a run. He glanced over his shoulder again, and was shocked to see the group of boys running towards him, close enough to be recognised now. It _was_ Ray's gang.

Nico tried to run, but they were faster. The first boy that caught up to him wrenched his schoolbag from his shoulder; the second grabbed him around the neck and slammed him to the ground. Then they were all around him, kicking and punching anywhere they could reach. Nico tried to fight back, but it was one against six. He had no chance. _They're going to kick me to death_ was Nico's last clear thought before he gave in to the crippling pain that was blossoming all over his body. His vision was fuzzy and fading as he fought to stay conscious, and he imagined he heard someone scream "_What are you doing? GET AWAY FROM HIM!_"

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><p>"<em>GET AWAY FROM HIM!<em>" screamed Issy, shocked at her own bravery. She'd seen the attack on Nico from a distance and had instantly run to help him, so angry she forgot to be scared. Ray's lot ceased kicking Nico and focused on Issy instead. "Oh yeah?" sniggered Ray. "Who's going to make us?" "I am" said Issy, and her voice rang out loud and clear. The boys exchanged amused glances, but showed no sign of moving. Issy felt her anger building, so strong she could barely control it, and as looked into the faces of the boys who'd made her life a misery for so long, something inside her snapped. "_I said GET AWAY!"_ she shrieked. As she spoke a gust of wind swept towards Ray and his gang. For a moment nothing changed. Then the cocky grins slid off their faces, replaced with looks of dismay as they began to scratch their heads. Within seconds they were howling, pulling at their hair, scratching feverishly at their skulls and shouting "It itches!" Ray was the first to run and the others followed, looking back at Issy with frightened expressions.

Issy took deep breaths, feeling no anger now, but drained and exhausted. She watched Ray and the others running away as fast as their Timberlands would carry them. Then Nico groaned, and all thoughts of Ray left her head as she threw herself down next to him. They'd beaten him quite badly; he had a swollen black eye, blood was pouring from his mouth and from a cut down the side of his face and there were more bloodstains on his white shirt. Already bruises were appearing around his neck. Issy looked into his dark brown eyes filled with pain, and that was when she made up her mind. No matter what the consequences would be, she had to heal Nico.

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><p>As Nico slipped in and out of consciousness, he was only dimly aware that the beating had stopped. He could hear people shouting as if from a great distance, and tried to tell them to shut up but he couldn't seem to get the words out. The pain in his head rose to a climax and became so unbearable he cried out. He was too tired to fight the pain. It was fading now anyway. <em>Is this what fainting feels like?<em> _Wait though, if I've fainted why is my vision getting clearer?_

Nico opened his eyes with the sensation of waking up from a deep sleep. It was then that he became aware that someone was touching his face with soft, gentle hands. _What the...?_ He sat up quickly, but then regretted it when a wave of dizziness came over him. Once his head stopped spinning, he realised that he couldn't feel any pain any more. He raised his hand to his face, expecting to feel the jagged cut but instead touching smooth, unbroken skin. Remembering suddenly that someone had been with him, he looked around. Issy Gilderien was sat just a few feet away from him, head down and hugging her knees. There was blood on her hands.

_What the hell is she doing here?_, thought Nico with rising panic. With a sickening jolt, he realised it must be his blood on her hands. She was shaking, whether from cold or fear he couldn't tell. She wouldn't look at him. Nico knew he should thank her, but he wasn't entirely sure what for. Had she chased Ray's lot away? Had she somehow healed his injuries? At first he dismissed this as craziness, but then he remembered the wren with the broken wing... seeing it fly away... _This is too weird_ thought Nico as he got up and ran. He didn't look back.

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><p>Issy didn't move until he'd left. She'd been too nervous to look up and meet his eye, because she expected to see fear, disgust or even anger. When she heard him get up and leave, she waited a while before judging it safe for her to leave as well. Her thoughts were all in a muddle. The only possible explanation for how she'd made Ray leave was that, somehow, she'd done real magic! This realisation made Issy feel scared and also faintly proud. However, she felt less pleased with herself when she got back to the cottage and found Impusa waiting for her in the hallway. Issy didn't waste time wondering how Impusa knew. Impusa knew everything.<p>

Issy pushed past Impusa and ran for the stairs, but Impusa grabbed hold of upper arm with one of her talon-like hands. Her grip was like steel. "_What happened?_" she asked insistently. "_What did you do?_" "Nothing" replied Issy, her face a picture of innocence. "Don't lie child, I can always tell!" said Impusa scornfully. "You did magic." It was a statement, not a question. "No!" cried Issy. "Let go of me!" For the second time that day she felt uncontrollable rage building inside her, this time directed at Impusa. She thought angrily how much she wanted Impusa to let her go, and that moment Impusa leapt backwards as though she'd been stung. Some invisible force seemed to have surged through Issy, making her impossible to hold. Issy took that opportunity to escape, rubbing her arm where Impusa had held her. Impusa let her go, looking at Issy with a gleam of triumph in her eyes.

It was that night that Issy first had The Nightmare. She woke in the middle of the night, tangled up in her threadbare duvet and drenched in sweat, feeling shaky and ill. The details of the nightmare that had woken her were already slipping away, no matter how hard she tried to cling on to them. She clutched at her forehead, trying to remember, but to no avail. Giving up, she flopped back down onto to her pillow and went back to sleep.

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><p>When Nico woke the next day it was still dark outside, but he didn't bother trying to fall back asleep. He had too much on his mind. Instead he lay on his back looking up at his ceiling as the hours crawled by. He ignored his alarm clock when it went off, his mum when she came in to order him to get out of bed, and his dad who came in when his mum gave up. Finally his parents decided he must be ill and left him alone, which suited Nico just fine. School was the last place he wanted to be.<p>

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><p>Issy was half dreading and half hoping to see Nico, so when she walked into registration the next day and saw that his seat was empty she felt an odd mixture of elation and crashing disappointment. She kept an eye on the door the whole time in case he was just running late and might walk in at any moment, but he didn't show up. She couldn't help but notice that Ray and his gang were all missing patches of hair, and the exposed skin was red and scaly. Unfortunately, she wasn't the only one who noticed. The entire form was trying not to laugh; the only exceptions were Ray's girlfriend Rochelle and her two friends (who were both near-clones of Rochelle just fatter and not as pretty). Issy hated Rochelle almost as much as she hated Ray.<p>

Issy scowled as she listened to Rochelle and her friends giggling hysterically at the back of the changing rooms. Every so often they'd all look at Issy pointedly then burst into giggles again. It didn't take a genius to work out who they were talking about. Getting changed for P.E. was always awkward for Issy. When she was 13 she'd helped Aiedail's mate deliver his two foals and as a gesture of thanks he'd touched her with his horn just below her collarbone. His touch left an oval-shaped silvery mark that glowed whenever it caught the light. Unicorns were very powerful magical creatures, and that the touch of a unicorn's horn was a rarely bestowed gift. Anyone touched by a unicorn's horn would always be protected from evil spells and enchantments. Issy was sure she'd be thankful for it one day, but it made getting changed for P.E. a bit of a problem.

When the nasty giggling got too much for Issy to bear, she turned around and snapped at them "Do you have a problem?" All three looked visibly shocked. Issy had never once stood up to them before. Rochelle recovered quickest. She walked over to Issy and hissed "Yes, _you're _my problem you little _freak._ Ray told me what you did to them. You shouldn't even be allowed to be around normal people. You should be locked up for our protection. In fact, you shouldn't even be allowed to _exist. _Why don't you do us all a favour and go crawl into a hole somewhere and _die._" Rochelle had been moving closer to Issy the whole time she was speaking so that by the time she'd finished their faces were about an inch apart. Rochelle raised her eyebrows at Issy, daring her to retaliate. A newborn monster in Issy's chest was roaring in anger, but she calmed it quickly, determined not to let her emotions get out of control again. She couldn't risk doing magic here, in front of everyone. With great difficulty she stepped back from Rochelle and turned away, clenching her fists so hard that her nails dug into her palms and drew blood. Issy would have succeeded in calming herself down, if Rochelle's next word hadn't ruined everything.

"_Witch._" The second the word left Rochelle's mouth, Issy spun round and punched her in the face. Rochelle screeched and clutched her nose, which was pouring blood. The rest of the girls in the changing room joined in with the hysterics, and Rochelle's two friends were in tears. The P.E. teacher rushed in to investigate the source of the commotion. In her booming voice she shouted "_What on earth_ is going on in here!" and was instantly regaled with cries of "Issy did it!" "It's Issy's fault!" "Issy punched Rochelle!"

The next thing Issy knew, she was in the head teachers office, listening to him drone on about how she'd let the school down, how violence was never the answer; that her parents would have to be informed... "I don't have any parents," interrupted Issy. "Your guardians then," said the head teacher. He then continued with his lecture as though the interruption had never happened, and Issy lost track of what he was saying. She simply stared blankly at him, and didn't respond when he concluded his lecture by informing her that the punishment for fighting in school was suspension. For three days.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

If anything, Issy was glad she was suspended. After a few days no one would remember that she'd punched Rochelle, they'd all be obsessed with the next big drama by the time she got back. The only down side to her suspension was the near-constant presence of the witches, who'd been treating her like a bomb about to go off ever since the incident with Ray's gang. Issy found out the reason for this when she walked into the kitchen on her first day off school and found all three witches sat at the kitchen table, apparently absorbed in reading their books. A bucket full of water was placed precariously close to the edge of the wooden table. "Ismira," said Salmakia in a silky-sweet tone of voice, "could you come here for a moment?" Salmakia was sat nearest to the bucket of water. Issy approached her cautiously, as she was unused to such politeness from any of the witches. As Issy drew nearer, Salmakia surreptitiously knocked the bucket of water off the table. Issy didn't have time to think. She looked at the bucket and wished that it wouldn't fall _and it froze in midair._ The three witches stood simultaneously and looked at the bucket, hovering a foot off the ground with the water inside paused in the act of cascading out of the bucket and onto the ground. When Issy realised what she'd done she gasped and let the bucket hit the ground, but it was too late. Her blood ran cold, and not because of the icy water sloshing over her feet, but because she'd just done magic in front of the witches.

Issy woke with a start in the middle of the night. She'd been having The Nightmare again. Her heart was racing, there was a sheen of sweat on her forehead and several damp strands of hair were stuck to her face. She longed for morning to come, for it was the dark of the moon and her room was pitch black. Light would have brought her some comfort. Then to Issy's amazement her room was bathed in a gentle orange glow as the candle on her windowsill flickered into life. _Was that magic?_ Issy looked intently at the bright little flame. It seemed to grow larger as she stared, expanding to fill her vision with its golden light. _No..._ The little flame exploded into a raging inferno, engulfing Issy in a wave of heat! Issy screamed and leapt out of bed. The fire was hungry; already her curtains had caught fire. Issy ran out into the hallway and banged frantically on Impusa's door, shouting "Help; there's a fire, _help!_" Overcome, Issy sank to the ground outside Impusa's door, still choking "_help... help..._" When Impusa finally opened the door, she stepped over Issy and went straight to Issy's room. The other two witches went to help. Issy felt like she was still in The Nightmare, except that this time she couldn't wake up...

* * *

><p>"Enough is enough Nico! You're going to school today and that is my final word. Now get dressed, you're going to be late." Nico had begged, and pleaded, and shouted, and sulked... none of it had had any effect. His mum was determined not to let him take any more time off school. She practically chased him out of the house. Nico was seriously considering skiving, but he decided against it. That was how he found himself stood at the entrance to Spindles End High School trying to work up the courage to go inside, as if it was his first day again.<p>

He found out soon enough that Issy had been suspended for punching Rochelle in the face. He overheard Rochelle talking about it in registration. She noticed Nico was listening and added "_Some _people need to get a _life_," while looking pointedly at Nico. _Bitch_. Her two friends had spread the story to as many people as possible, and most people seemed to know that Nico was somehow involved. He was treated with an icy indifference that was at least preferable to being laughed at but got kind of lonely after a while.

Issy returned to school three days later. Nico and Issy managed to ignore each other completely until a second period Chemistry class. In a class of twenty three students Issy was the odd number; therefore she was used to working on her own when the class did a practical. Not today, however. When the teacher announced "we'll be doing a practical today, so if everybody could get into two's please," Nico and Issy were the only two people who weren't pleased, and predictably they were the only two left without partners. "Nico, go to the back and work with Issy," ordered the teacher. Annoyed, Nico swept his things back into his bag and reluctantly went to sit next to Issy. She didn't look at him when he sat down; she just continued to stare into space. "I'll get the stuff then shall I?" he asked sarcastically. No answer. Feeling increasingly fed up, Nico went to the store cupboard and got out a Bunsen burner. He returned to their work space and plugged the Bunsen burner into the gas tap. The teacher bustled over to light it.

There was a moment, no more than a split second, when Nico knew something wasn't right. He looked at Issy and saw that she was staring transfixed at the flame from the Bunsen burner as though she was hypnotised, its golden light reflected in her eyes. Or was it just the reflection? In that split second her eyes flashed gold, and the flame from the Bunsen burner went from being a harmless, flickering little flame to a raging column of flames that reached to the ceiling! "_Shit!_" Nico dived to turn the gas tap off and knocked the Bunsen burner over as he did so. The fire went out as quickly as it had started.

The teacher rushed over to check that neither Nico nor Issy had been burned, but once it became apparent that they were both alright his concern was replaced by fury. He ranted on at them about health and safety, but only Nico was listening. Issy was sat rocking backwards and forwards in her seat with her head in her hands. "Nico, take Issy outside for a moment," said the teacher disdainfully. "She seems a bit traumatised." Nico hesitantly put his arm around Issy's shoulders and steered her to a bench outside.

They sat awkwardly side by side for a while, until Nico cleared his throat and said "Er... hey, listen. I never...er... thanked you for, um, the other day. That was really brave." Nico was afraid to look at Issy, so he kept his eyes firmly fixed on his hands and carried on. "I'm sorry, for everything. I guess I've really made a mess of things." He let out a shaky laugh, and ran his hand through his hair. "Hey," said Issy. He turned to look at her. "For what it's worth, I don't think you're like them." Nico knew who she meant. "...thanks," he replied. They then sank back into their previous awkward silence. "There's something weird about you," said Nico suddenly. "All this weird stuff keeps happening to me and I'm sure it's got something to do with you. Who _are _you?" She didn't answer. He sighed. "I guess this is going to take some getting used to." Issy waited a moment, before hesitantly saying "Do you think you could get used to me?" Nico smiled without even meaning to. "Yeah, I could." She smiled shyly back at him, and things didn't feel so awkward after that.

Ray and Rochelle burst into hysterical laughter when they saw Nico and Issy together at break. "Don't they have anything better to do?" growled Nico. Issy didn't seem to care, but he wondered if actually she was just very good at hiding her feelings. "I wish they'd just leave me alone," muttered Nico. Issy gave him an odd look, and then said "Come with me." She took his hand and led him away from Ray and Rochelle to a part of the school he'd never seen before. "Where are we going?" asked Nico. "You'll see," laughed Issy. He followed her through a blue door, up some dark concrete steps and then through another blue door, that to his amazement opened out onto the roof.

"Wow," said Nico as he looked around. The roof was grey and bare, but a waist height wall around the edge provided some shelter. "So this where you disappear to," Nico said to Issy with a grin. "I found it in the first week of Year 7," she said absent-mindedly, as she was concentrating on a drawing. "No one ever comes up here, except me. And now you." Nico went to sit next to her, and peered over her shoulder at the drawing. It was of a girl running, a girl that looked a bit like Issy. She was currently sketching some shadowy figures in the background. "That's good," said Nico, even though the drawing made him feel a bit unsettled for some reason.

* * *

><p>After that day Nico and Issy became inseparable at school. Nico was surprised at how easy she was to talk to (well, to be more accurate he talked and she listened). She was something of a mystery, always shy and withdrawn and never volunteering any personal information about herself. "You don't talk much, do you?" Nico remarked to her one day. "We're talking right now," she replied, puzzled. "No, I'm talking," corrected Nico. "I've been spilling my guts out to you all week and yet I don't know a thing about you." "Well, what do you want to know?" asked Issy, keeping her tone light but feeling a slight fluttering of panic. "Don't worry, I'm not going to ask about... you know." Nico reassured her. "Just... tell me something about yourself. Anything." "You've made me feel all self-conscious now," said Issy. Nico rolled his eyes. "Oh come on. Tell me what sort of music you listen to, for example." "I don't listen to music." Issy answered, and then burst out laughing at the shocked expression on Nico's face. He spent the rest of break playing his favourite tracks to her on his iPod, and talking non-stop about his favourite bands. He debated whether or not to tell her about his band, but decided against it. <em>I don't know her that well yet<em>, he thought.

They got into the habit of walking home together, since they both lived in the same direction. Nico found that Issy was chattier outside of school. "How's the work on your house coming on?" she asked. Nico groaned. "It's a nightmare. I miss the old house." "It must be hard, moving around so often," said Issy, looking at Nico in concern. "Yeah, it is," admitted Nico. "To be honest, I hate it. It drives me mad the way my mum only thinks about herself, and she doesn't even realise how difficult it is for me to move to a new school where I don't know anyone." "At least you can be anyone you want to be," said Issy. "If no one knows who you are, you can completely change your personality and no one can say 'who are you kidding, Nico Fox?' because, well, what do they know?" "That's an odd way of looking at it," said Nico. Issy shrugged. "Have you lived here all your life?" Nico asked her. "I've lived here for as long as I can remember, but I wasn't born here," "Where were you born?" "...I don't know." Nico looked at her in surprise. "How could you not know where you were born?" Issy looked miserable. "I live with a... foster family. They won't tell me anything about my real parents, or where I came from." Nico couldn't think what to say for a moment. He felt terrible. "Er... I'm sorry, Issy." She shrugged again. A shrug from Issy could mean anything: indifference, uncertainty, shyness, fear.

They carried on walking in silence until they reached the corner where Nico normally crossed the road. Nico paused beneath an unlit street lamp and checked for traffic before crossing. Halfway across, he turned and waved at Issy. She waved back, and then turned to walk down a different road.

_It happened in a heartbeat. Nico heard the screech of tyres and the blaring of the horn, before he turned and saw the car... There was no time to move... Then in a blur of movement Issy appeared in front of him. She spread her arms protectively in front of him and flung the car to the side before it could hit him... Sparks flew as her hands scraped the metal..._

_CRASH!_

The car hit the lamp post. A tinkling sound followed the first deafening crash as the glass from the shattered car windows fell to the ground. Then silence. Nico and Issy looked at each other in shock. Issy looked down at her hands; hands that were unmarked even though she'd just thrown a tonne of metal aside as though it was weightless. With a shuddering gasp Nico remembered to breathe. _What just happened? That car... it was going to hit me... Issy... How..? What the fuck just happened?_ A fog had descended over his mind. Issy walked slowly over to the car. She leaned in through the window and checked the unconscious driver for a pulse. "He's alive!" she called in an unnaturally high voice. Nico heard her speak but her words had no meaning.

A small crowd of curious onlookers began to gather at the scene. A man ran over to Nico and took hold of his shoulders. "Are you alright, son? Are you hurt?" Without waiting for an answer, the man called out to the other people standing around uselessly "Someone call an ambulance!" There was a flurry of movement as everyone pulled mobile phones out of their pockets and handbags. Though barely aware of what was going on around him, Nico felt a twinge of alarm. _No, wait... they can't call an ambulance... not for two people who should be dead... _"M'alright" he mumbled to the man whilst fighting the urge to be sick. "Don't need... ambulance..." "The driver does though," said Issy behind him. Nico jumped; he hadn't realised she was there. Irrational fear washed over him and he took a step back from her. Issy's eyes filled with tears. "What about you, are you alright?" the man asked her. She didn't look alright; she had shadows under her eyes, grey-tinged skin and she was swaying on the spot. "I... I don't know..." she said, before she crumpled to the ground in a faint.

Everything happened very quickly after that. The ambulance arrived within minutes and whisked both Nico and Issy off to hospital despite Nico's protestations. In what seemed like no time at all he found himself sat on the edge of a hospital bed, trying to avoid making eye contact with the nurse whose face was a mask of friendliness as she asked him question after question. "What's your name?" "Nico." "How can we contact your parents, Nico?" "They're at home, ring them." "Could you give me the number?" Nico recited his phone number through gritted teeth, willing her to go away. She smiled and said "Thank you Nico," before turning to leave. She was at the door when Nico suddenly thought of Issy. "Is Issy OK?" he asked. The nurse frowned at him, but then resumed her falsely friendly expression. "She's awake. Her mum is with her." "Can I see her?" "I'm afraid not, Nico." Nico nodded once. He'd expected that.

Nico knew his parents had arrived when he heard his mum shouting outside the door. "Where is he! Don't tell me to calm down; I'll calm down when I've seen my son!" She burst through the door and flung herself at Nico, hugging him so hard she nearly strangled him. "Mum!" Nico gasped, struggling to escape. She released him, and then exclaimed furiously "You almost gave me a heart attack!" Nico winced. After barely three seconds in his mum's company he already had a headache. His dad said nothing, merely putting a hand on Nico's shoulder as they walked out of the room together.

It wasn't until much later that evening that Nico was finally able to dwell on the list of impossibilities that he'd stored in his mind. _Issy was on the other side of the road, I remember waving to her, the next second she was in front of me. There's no way she could have moved that fast. _He shuddered, remembering with perfect clarity the moment when Issy had thrown the car aside. _Maybe I imagined it, but if I did, then how come I'm alive?_ The headache that had been bothering him since he left the hospital suddenly got more intense. Nico clutched at his forehead in pain. _I won't be kept in the dark anymore, _he decided. _Tomorrow, Issy is going to tell me the truth._

* * *

><p>It was twilight, and the forest was just beginning to wake up. The trees whispered in anticipation as night crept steadily closer. This was the only sound... until Issy's heart-wrenching sobs split the silence. Though Impusa had acted convincingly distressed when she picked Issy up from the hospital, she'd dropped the pretence the second they were back at the cottage. Issy was in deepest disgrace for giving away their secret. Unable to bear the witches anger any longer, Issy had fled into the forest in search of her beloved unicorns. She found them at the clearing, ran straight to Avamir, threw her arms around the gentle mare's neck and began to howl. She couldn't stop herself from replaying the moment when Nico had almost died over and over in her head. Sick, churning fear threatened to engulf her when she thought of what might have happened. <em>I don't care if I gave away the secret. I'd do it a thousand times to save Nico.<em>

The next morning, Impusa accompanied Issy to the local police station, as she and Nico both had to write statements describing the crash. As they arrived at the police station Nico and his parents were just leaving. Impusa tried to drag Issy past them before Nico noticed her, but Nico had already seen them. Nico swiftly moved so that he was blocking their path. He glanced warily at Impusa, then leaned over and whispered to Issy "I need to talk to you." Before Impusa could object, he pulled Issy aside. "You don't have to look so worried," he said to her. "I made it sound like the driver saw me at the last minute and swerved." Issy breathed a sigh of relief. "Thank you." He ran a hand through his hair and frowned. He seemed to be struggling to get his words out. "Issy, I know I didn't imagine what happened yesterday." Issy looked at him, expecting to see accusation in his brown eyes. "I want you to tell me the truth," he said. Issy was helpless. She couldn't tear herself away from those eyes. "I can't," she whispered. He scowled. "Why not? Why can't you trust me?" "It's not that I don't trust you" – "Then what is it?" He made it sound so simple. "Okay!" said Issy. "Meet me at the park tomorrow. I promise I'll tell you everything. But I can't promise you'll believe me."


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

By the next morning Issy was seriously regretting her decision to tell Nico the truth about who she was. She was almost hoping as she walked into the park that he wouldn't be there, but no, there he was. He was sat on a secluded park bench beneath a tall oak tree. She walked over to him, her heart thudding so loudly in her chest she wouldn't have been surprised if he could hear it. As this thought crossed her mind his head snapped up. He noticed her approaching and smiled, causing her legs to turn to jelly. "Hey," she said, hoping her voice wouldn't betray how nervous she was. "Hey," he replied cheerily. She sat down next to him and took a deep breath, but then couldn't think what to say. Burying her head in her hands she said despairingly "God, this is hard to say! I don't know where to start." Issy considered a few different opening statements in her head. _He's going to think I'm crazy,_ she thought, before summoning all her courage and saying "Nico, do you believe in magic?"

* * *

><p>"Magic!" he spluttered. "Issy, you can't expect me to believe" – he broke off when he noticed the look on Issy's face. "You wanted the truth, Nico," she said. "Well, this is it. You can decide that I'm crazy and walk away right now, or you can hear me out." Nico ran a hand through his hair. With one sentence she'd thrown his thoughts into turmoil. "Of course I'll listen to you," he said. She nodded once.<p>

"You already know that I live with a foster family. Well, that 'foster family' is in fact a coven of witches. Witches don't have leaders, but in this case Impusa is definitely the leader we don't have. There are three others: Detvortesau, Salmakia, and me. I must have had parents once upon a time, but I don't remember them. I live with the witches in a cottage just outside of town. I cook, I clean, and I tidy... kind of like Cinderella. Up until recently I could only do baby-magic, but now I've started to do real magic without even meaning to. Healing you, and healing the bird, that was just baby-magic. Moving that car the day before yesterday was real magic. I don't know how I did it, so don't ask. Normally, to be able to do real magic you have to be taught and I refuse to learn. I don't want to be a witch. I don't want to be different. I've grown up surrounded by secrets and lies, and I hate it. I just want to be..." Her voice trailed off. "Normal." Nico finished the sentence for her.

"So, are there other witches out there? Or wizards?" Nico asked. "I don't know," was her answer. "The witches won't tell me anything. In my coven there are two rules that must never be broken. Number 1: don't ask questions. Number 2: _keep the secret_." Nico couldn't take it all in. "Hang on; let me see if I understand. You're a witch. All the strange, impossible things that happen when you're around are magic. And I'm the first person you've told about this." "Yes." Nico was half expecting her to burst into laughter and say "I'm kidding!" but she didn't. Her expression was open and honest. "Issy, I want to believe you, but all this just sounds so... so... unbelievable." He grinned ruefully. "I'm sorry." "It amazes me how far people will go to ignore magic, even when it's staring them in the face,' she said, rolling her eyes. "OK, let's pretend for a moment that I do believe you. Won't you get into trouble for telling me the secret?" he said. "No, because the witches are never going to find out that you know. If they did find out, you'd be in danger Nico. Remember, rule number 2: _keep the secret._ It's the most important rule there is." Nico laughed, even though he couldn't see anything remotely funny about the situation. "Issy, this is... _insane._ You're insane. Magic and all that stuff, it isn't _real_. 'I'm a witch', honestly. What's next? Are you going to tell me that fairies actually exist? Or, I dunno, dragons?" He laughed sarcastically. "People who actually believe in that kind of stuff are freaks." A tense silence followed this statement. "Forget it. I knew it was a mistake to trust you." Issy sprang from her seat and ran away.

Nico sat stunned for a moment before coming to his senses and chasing after her. "Issy, wait!" _Damn, she's fast_. He finally caught up to her on the pavement outside the park. "Issy, I'm _sorry_," he said, grabbing her arm. She shook him off angrily. "_Wait," _he insisted, taking hold of her hand. "_WHAT!"_ shouted Issy. The ferocity in her voice shocked Nico, who backed away. "I just wanted to say that I'm sorry." "Oh, you're _sorry_ are you?" Nico winced at the venom in her voice. "Nico, you just called me a _freak_. Did you really think that I'd forgive you if you just said _sorry_?" Nico tried to retaliate, but the words got lost on the way to his mouth. "And to think I was just starting to... well, never mind. I was obviously wrong." Her scathing tone of voice had vanished, and to his horror she now sounded like she was about to cry. Issy never cried. "I can't take back what I said, and I know that saying sorry isn't going to fix everything just like that. I, er, don't know how I'm going to make it up to you, but" – He stopped talking as an idea came to him. "Hey, erm, you trusted me with your secret, so I guess I can trust you with mine." She frowned. "What do you mean?" "Meet me at the park again tomorrow, okay? I'll explain then." She didn't reply. "Please?" asked Nico. "Fine. See you tomorrow."

* * *

><p>Issy left early and walked slowly to the park the next morning. It was quite cold and she'd forgotten her jacket, so she'd crossed her arms across her chest with her hands tucked under her shoulders to keep warm. This tense posture gave her an air of defensiveness and fear. She loitered at the park entrance for a while before Nico showed up on his bike. He skidded to a halt next to her and smiled uncertainly. "Hey Issy. You look freezing, how come you didn't bring a jacket?" "I forgot," she snapped, as the memory of yesterday's fight was still fresh in her mind. He sighed, then said "Erm, get on then," gesturing towards the bike. She didn't move. "Unless you'd rather walk...?" he suggested. Issy relented and carefully stepped on to the pegs on the back wheel, placing her hands on Nico's shoulders. "Hold on!" advised Nico, and then they sped off along the road.<p>

After barely 10 minutes Nico abruptly hit the brakes, and they came to a sudden stop outside a fairly nondescript house not far from where Nico lived. "Where are we?" asked Issy, her curiosity getting the better of her. "My cousins live here. Um, we'll go in round the back," he said, opening a side gate that was barely visible beneath a curtain of ivy and wheeling his bike through to the back garden. "They'll be in the garage," Nico called over his shoulder. Issy followed him hesitantly. The back garden was wildly overgrown. Only one small space hadn't yet been taken over by plants: a small patio at the corner of the garden. A rose bush grew next to this patio, but as it was nearly winter most of the roses had died, and the few that remained were clinging feebly to life. The garage was situated at the far side of the garden around the back of the house. The door to the garage had been propped open to reveal a curtain of pink and green glass beads.

At the sound of Nico and Issy's approach the bead curtain was brushed aside, and a boy and girl that Issy had never met before walked out. The boy looked almost exactly like Nico, only slightly taller and with shorter hair. The girl had spiky, scarlet hair, pixie-like features and a mischievous grin. She bounced over to Issy. "You're Ismira, right? I love your name, it's so unusual. Oh, I'm sorry, Nico said you like to be called Issy. I'm Erin, and this is my brother Mark." She said all this without stopping for breath. "Slow down Erin," said Mark with a grin. Issy was again struck by the resemblance between him and Nico, as Mark's lopsided smile was identical to Nico's. Issy smiled blankly at Mark and Erin, thinking _what am I doing here?_ but feeling like it would be rude to ask. "So, do you want to hear us play?" asked Erin. "Erm... sorry, what do you mean?" asked Issy, feeling more confused by the second. Erin turned and swatted Nico on the shoulder. "You didn't tell her?" "I was kind of embarrassed," he replied sheepishly. Erin rolled her eyes. "Me, Mark and Nico are in a band," she said to Issy. "It's only the three of us at the minute and we don't even have a name yet, but we're not bad. The garage is soundproof so Dad lets us practise there. Come and see!"

The garage was lit by a single light bulb and a string of fairy lights around the edge of the ceiling. The walls were plastered from top to bottom with vintage band posters. It wasn't that big, but they'd managed to squeeze in a drum kit, a microphone, a keyboard and an electric guitar on a stand. "We're still saving up for the rest of the equipment, like amps and stuff," Erin said to Issy. "Plus we really need a bass guitarist and at the minute I'm the only singer. Are you any good at singing?" she asked hopefully. Issy blushed. "I can't sing." Erin looked disappointed for a moment. "Hey Erin, are we going to practise or what?" asked Nico impatiently. "Right, sorry! Issy, do you want to sit... er, hang on, I'll just make some space." Erin kicked some boxes aside to make space for Issy to sit down, then picked up her guitar and slung the strap over her shoulder. Nico was already settled behind the drum kit. Issy perched lightly on one of the discarded boxes and waited expectantly for the band to start to play.

* * *

><p>Nico couldn't concentrate, nor could he stop his eyes from continuously straying over to where Issy was sat. <em>Why am I so nervous about this?, <em>he thought to himself as he glanced at Issy again. This time their eyes met, so he smiled shyly at her before quickly looking away again. He was so distracted that he almost missed Mark and Erin signalling that they were about to start. With difficulty he pushed Issy out of his mind and concentrated on the music, and soon felt his nerves fading away.

Nico and Issy left several hours later, Nico on his bike and Issy walking beside him. Though Issy had been reasonably nice to him in front of Mark and Erin, now that they were alone together she didn't seem to want to talk to him. The tense silence persisted for several minutes, until Nico worked up the courage to ask "Are you still mad at me?" Issy thought for a moment before replying "No. Well, maybe a bit. I can't believe you never told me you're in a band! Honestly, you can be such an idiot sometimes." Nico was relieved to see that she was smiling. "Look, I really am sorry about yesterday." "I know." "So, uh, what did you think of the band?" Nico asked nervously. "You guys are amazing!" Nico beamed at her. "Seriously? You really think so?" "Yes, you idiot," laughed Issy. "And your cousins are both really nice." "Yeah, being nearer to Mark and Erin was the one good thing about moving here." Another few minutes of silence followed this brief conversation, until Issy suddenly said "I guess we don't have any secrets from each other now." "I guess not." Nico replied uneasily, thinking of the conversation he'd had with Mark just before they'd left...

"_So, are you and Issy going out then?" "No! We're just friends." "Really." "Yes. Stop smirking. Stop it! Me and Issy... it's not like that, OK?" "Whatever you say."_


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

The months leading up to Christmas flew by in no time at all. Christmas was normally one of Issy's least favourite times of the year, since she knew by now not to expect any presents from the witches. This was why she was so pleased when Nico gave her a reason to look forward to Christmas for the first time.

"Hey Issy, d'you want to come to a party at my house on Christmas Eve? My mum's inviting a load of people round so she can show off the new house now that she's finished working on it, and it's probably going to be really boring but, yeah, you can come if you want. Mark and Erin are going to be there."

Issy was about to say yes, but then she thought of a problem. "Oh, I'd love to, only I don't have anything to wear to a party."

"No problem, I'm sure Erin will lend you something. We can all meet at Mark and Erin's beforehand and you can borrow something then."

And that was how Issy found herself sat on a stool in Erin's cluttered and untidy room on Christmas Eve, having spent most of the afternoon being treated like a Barbie doll. Erin had spent hours firstly choosing a dress for Issy, then styling her hair, and then doing her makeup.

"Keep still!" snapped Erin, as Issy once again attempted to twist round and look at her reflection in the mirror on Erin's dressing table. Issy concentrated on staying as still as a statue until Erin finally said "there, you can look now." Issy took a deep breath, and turned around.

She didn't recognise the girl that stared back at her. Issy's normally wavy hair now hung in elegant curls around her face, there was actually some colour in her cheeks, her big blue eyes had been expertly accentuated by a touch of eye makeup. Issy raised a hand to her cheek, and was almost surprised when the girl in the mirror did too.

"I'm..."

Erin laughed at Issy's shocked expression. "You look really pretty. Now come on, they're waiting for us!"

Issy stood up, and nervously smoothed out the wrinkles in the black sequined minidress that she'd thought was too dressy but that Erin insisted was perfect.

"Come on!" said Erin again. Trying calm the fluttering of nerves in her stomach, Issy followed her out the room.

* * *

><p>"What's taking them so long?" Mark sighed, checking his watch yet again. He and Nico were loitering in the hallway waiting for Erin and Issy to come down, so that Mark could drive them all over to Nico's house. They didn't have much longer to wait, as at that moment Erin scampered down the stairs saying "Sorry, sorry! Now come on, we're going to be late!"<p>

"Where's Issy?" Nico asked her.

"She's just coming," replied Erin, glancing behind her and gesturing to Issy, who was peering cautiously around the top of the stairs. At Erin's encouragement she stepped out and walked slowly down the stairs, placing each foot with extreme care to avoid falling over in the unfamiliarly high heels.

Nico forgot to breathe. He was unable to tear his eyes away from Issy as she reached the bottom of the stairs and came to stand next to him.

"Erm… shall we go then?"

Erin's voice brought him sharply back to earth.

"Yeah, yeah, sure. Come on, we're late."

'That's what I've been _saying,_' whined Erin as they all walked out the door, Nico still feeling slightly shell shocked. When they got to Marks car Nico held the door open for Issy to climb in, but before she did she leaned in and whispered to him "Do I look okay?" Nico could see from her expression how anxious and nervous she was. He suddenly became aware of how near she was to him, and inexplicably felt his heart rate pick up.

"You look… different."

She looked down, allowing her curled hair to fall forward and hide her face.

"…good different?"

"_Amazing_ different."

She looked up quickly, and for a moment Nico could see how much she was smiling before she looked away again, raising a hand to her hair and twisting a strand of it through her fingers. He gently took hold of her wrist and moved her hand away, and with his other hand tucked her hair back behind her ear. Their eyes met, and once again Nico felt his heart start beating crazily fast. Feeling suddenly awkward, he quickly stepped back from Issy and gestured for her to get into the car. She clambered in without a word. Nervously running a hand through his hair, Nico climbed in after her and slammed the door shut.

* * *

><p>It was without a doubt the best Christmas Eve Issy had ever had. She'd spent most of the evening alternating between chatting happily with Nico and Mark, and being twirled around by Erin to various Christmas songs – despite the fact that dancing was nearly impossible in her ridiculous shoes. After losing her balance and stumbling for what felt like the millionth time she collapsed onto the sofa next to Nico, pleading with Erin that she was too dizzy to dance anymore when Erin protested.<p>

When she'd gotten her breath back Issy turned to Nico and asked "So… this is what normal people do on Christmas Eve?"

"Depends how you define normal, but yeah, pretty much."

Issy looked around the room at all Nico's friends and neighbours smiling and laughing together.

"I like it."

"Glad you're having fun."

Before Issy could say anything else to him Nico got up and left, muttering something about getting a drink. She watched him go, feeling her happy mood fade slightly. It seemed like Nico had been avoiding talking to her alone all evening – at first she'd thought she was imagining it, but now she wasn't so sure.

* * *

><p>The rest of the party flew by in what felt like no time at all. Mark had offered to give Issy a lift home, insisting that it wasn't safe for her to walk home alone at that time of night. She accepted, mainly because she didn't want to ruin the beautiful shoes Erin had lent her by walking so far in them.<p>

"I'll just go and say bye to Nico," Issy said to Mark as he was getting his coat on; he nodded. She looked all around for Nico but couldn't find him, until he nearly ran into her as she passed by the bottom of the stairs at the same time as he was coming down them.

"Oh hey, I was just looking for you. I'm going now, so… bye."

"Wait, you're leaving already?" He sounded puzzled, and she thought she could hear a hint of disappointment in his voice.

"Yeah, it's late. Mark's going to take me home."

He ran a hand through his hair – he'd been doing that a lot that evening – then quickly took her hand and pulled her upstairs saying "Just come with me for a sec."

He led her into his bedroom, then let go of her hand and went over to his wardrobe. He hadn't turned the light on; the only light came from the half open door and the streetlights outside as he hadn't drawn his curtains, but she could still make out his bed pushed against the far wall and the walls covered in band posters. The rest of his stuff was still in cardboard boxes strewn about the room; he obviously wasn't one for unpacking. Issy stood awkwardly in the middle of the room while Nico rummaged around at the back of the wardrobe. Finally he straightened up and turned to face her, and she saw that he was holding a clumsily wrapped present.

"I couldn't let you leave without giving you your Christmas present."

"I thought we said we weren't doing Christmas presents?" she said, feeling suddenly guilty.

"I know, but I got you this anyway," said Nico, handing her the present.

"Should I open it?"

"Well, I didn't buy it just for you to look at," he grinned.

"I thought you might want me to wait until tomorrow," laughed Issy, as she very carefully peeled off the sellotape and unfolded the wrapping paper. She slotted her hand into the paper and took hold of what felt like a leather-bound book. Giving Nico a quizzical look, she slid the book out of the wrapping paper.

When she realised what it was, she gasped.

"It's a new sketchbook," said Nico uncertainly. "I thought you could, you know, start afresh with this one, since the other one was kind of ruined for you."

Before he could say anything else she put the sketchbook down on his bed and flung her arms around his neck. He was a lot taller than her; even in heels she had to go up onto tip-toes to hug him. When she trusted herself to speak again she whispered "Thank you so much Nico."

"You're welcome."

His voice sounded kind of odd, and it was then that she realised that he wasn't really hugging her back. She quickly let go of him, blushing scarlet with embarrassment. Feeling incredibly grateful that her red cheeks couldn't be seen in the darkness, she grabbed the present, stammered "Thanks again, bye!" to Nico and rushed out the room before she could do anything else stupid.

* * *

><p>Issy walked slowly down the country lane that led to the cottage. Mark had wanted to take her all the way to her front door, but she'd insisted on being dropped at the top of the lane. It wasn't safe for Mark to be anywhere near the cottage, but he couldn't know that. She was barefoot, as she'd reasoned that if she attempted to walk down the treacherous, uneven lane in Erin's heels the likelihood of breaking her ankle would increase dramatically. Golden tendrils of magic surrounded her feet, making it appear that she was wearing glowing golden slippers. Her baby magic seemed to be working tonight; every time she cut a foot on a sharp rock it would heal instantly.<p>

It was a typical December night; temperatures way below freezing, but Issy was too distracted to feel cold. Her head was full of confused and muddled thoughts all clamouring for her attention, but she ignored them all and thought only of Nico. He normally hid his emotions so well, but seeing him so vulnerable that night had reminded her of shy he was underneath it all. He'd seemed so uncertain when he handed her the present, like he was afraid she wouldn't like it, but at the same time his expression had conveyed a tentative hint of hopefulness. She hugged the sketchbook tighter to her chest, thinking that it was the best Christmas present she'd ever gotten. _Allthough, that doesn't count for much since it's the only Christmas present I've ever gotten._

Issy stopped. _It's the only Christmas present I've ever gotten._ She'd never put much thought into why she never got Christmas presents from the witches, why her birthdays passed by unacknowledged, why she was never bought anything that wasn't an absolute necessity. She'd always just figured that the witches didn't care about her enough. And yet, now she thought about it, the witches hardly ever bought anything for themselves either. There was always just enough money to pay for food, new clothes when their old garments were past repair, and other basic items, but Issy had no idea where that money came from. None of the witches had a job of any kind. In fact, they rarely left the cottage at all.

Reluctantly, Issy pushed all thoughts of Nico out of her mind, knowing that those thoughts would only distract her from thinking clearly. She and the witches had been living like outcasts for as long as she could remember, in the cold, uncomfortable little cottage on the outskirts of Spindles End: a forgotten village in the middle of nowhere. She'd always assumed it was because they couldn't draw any attention to themselves or they'd risk their powers being discovered. _I've grown up surrounded by secrets and lies. _She remembered sitting next to Nico on a bench in the park after telling him she could do magic and saying those exact words to him. She'd never questioned the need for secrecy; after all, it was all she'd ever known. She'd never wondered why three powerful enchantresses, more than capable of twisting minds, weaving disguises, and altering the world as they saw fit, chose to hide away when they could be living like princesses.

Issy was still deep in thought when she reached the cottage. She opened the front door very carefully and shut it as gently as possible behind her, as she thought the witches would be asleep and they'd be angry if she woke them. However, when she wandered into the kitchen she found Impusa sat at the kitchen table, reading by candlelight. At Issy's appearance the old witch raised her head and directed an accusing glare at Issy.

"You're late. It's past midnight."

Instead of replying, Issy stormed over to the kitchen table and slammed the sketchbook she'd been holding down in front of Impusa. Impusa didn't even flinch.

"You never buy me any Christmas presents," said Issy, her voice shaking. "You act like my birthday is just another day. You refuse to use your powers unless you absolutely have to. You keep secrets. You make me keep secrets. You _lie to me_. I want to know why."

Impusa's eyes flashed with anger.

"You demand answers with the ignorance of a child," she spat.

"I'm not a child, I'm a witch"-

"A witch who fears her powers is no witch."

Issy recoiled as though she'd been slapped. "I'm _not _afraid."

"Then prove it. Let us teach you magic."

Issy knew she was cornered. Impusa was an expert at manipulation; there was no she'd give Issy the answers she wanted unless Issy gave her this in return.

"Fine. You win. I'll learn magic."

Oddly, Impusa didn't smile. Her face remained impassive.

"As you wish."


End file.
